Nick's Minestrone

This soup, a longtime fixture on the prix fixe menu at Nick's Italian Cafe in McMinnville, Oregon, is served tableside from a tureen and topped with a generous spoonful of fragrant, freshly made pesto. "The heat," Nick explained, "makes the aroma rise." After the bowls are filled, the vessel is left on the table so that guests can help themselves to more, if they like.